Gerard c



UNITED I STATES ArENr r-FIcE.

I J. unnows HYDE, or New YORK, N. Y.

INSULATING COMPOUND FOR ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS, AND THE PROCESS OF COMPOUNDING THE SAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 290,058, dated December 11, 1883,

I Applicationfiled November 3,1883. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J. BURROWS HYDE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Insulating Compounds for Electric Conductors, and in Processes for Compounding the Same, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of insulated electric conductors particularly for underground uses; and my improvement consists in a new and improved insulating compound and process connected therewith.

I take finely-pulverized peaty matter, prepared by rapidly manipulating or mixing wet peat, crude from the bed, to break up its sponge-like structure, and then dry it thoroughly into a hard and compact substance, which I then grind to a fine powder; but this process, nor its product as such, forms no part of my present invention. This dry peat-pow-. der, as a semi-carbonized woody matter, will,

lunder proper heat, readily combine and form a smooth homogeneous compound with hot melted bituminous and resinous matters. I therefore take any of the following substances: asphaltum, coal-tar pitch,-petroleum-coke, and such like materials, either separately or mixed, as may be found best for the consistency of the plastic state of the compound required, temperature of the atmosphere always being considered, and melt to a'fiuid state. I then take mineral oil, vegetable oil, or other proper hydrocarbon fiuidif heated the betterand stir the peat-powder into it until it is smoothly incorporated in a thick paste-like consistency. This mixture is then added to the melted compound first described, both being hot, stirring well until the mixture is uniform and in a state'that, when cold, maybe impressed, but not adhere to the fingers at the atmosand out such fibrous matter into short lengths as uniformly as possible, not to exceed onefourth of an inch long, and add it carefully and gradually, so as to mix as uniformly as pos- I also take I sible through the melted composition, to serve as abinder against too ready fracture in binding. The fiber may be mixed with the fluid before adding it to the bituminous matter, and in many cases it may be well to omit it altogether. Theconducting-wires should be wound with two or more layers of cotton thread, and passed through petroleum or other proper hydrocarbon fluid for thorough saturation, and then directly into the heated insulating compound described, by any proper apparatus for thorough saturation and coating of the cotton covering, but preferably by an apparatus patented by me July 24, 1883, N o.

281,999. The oil will be dispelled by the heat and the composition take its place in passing sulated is then passed through an apparatus, similar to a maccaroni-press, which will cover the wire with the composition to a diameter of, say, one-fifth of an inch; or, it may be molded between grooved rollers for a similar result by having sheets of the composition on each side with the wires between them, thus covering a number of wires simultaneously.

1 The molded strand conductor thus formed may be covered externally with a narrow strip of thin paper, tin-foil, or woven fabric wound spirally from end to end; or it may be leadcovered by a proper apparatus therefor.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The process of compounding insulating substances for electric uses, which consists in melting to a fiuid state bituminous or resinous matters, then incorporating hydrocarbon fluid, preferably heated, with dry peatpowder, then mixing the two compounds and gradually'adding to the melted composition short lengths of vegetable fiber, substantially as described.

2. An insulating compound for electric uses, consisting of dry powder from peat combined with bituminous substances, 7 and hydrocarbon fiuid added under heat, in the manner described.

3. An insulating compound for electric uses, consisting of dry powdered peaty matters combined with resinous substances, and by drocarbon fluid added under heat in the man- In testimony whereof I affix my signature in ner set forth. presence of two witnesses.

4. In insnlatin compounds for electric uses bituminous and Fesinous substances combined BURROWS HYDE 5 with dry powdered peat and hydrocarbon Witnesses:

fluid, in the manner and for the purpose de- GERARD C. GREEN,

scribed. EDWARD E. ELLIs. 

